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Friday, October 02, 2015

Poetry Friday -- Beyond Thrilled

I am beyond thrilled to have a poem in this gorgeous book! To have my words share covers with some of my favorite poems of all times, and to be included with so many of my favorite poets (some whose words-on-page I know, but some whose handshake-hug-or smile I know)...wow! And to be able to page through this book savoring the pictures as much as the words...wow! Thank you, Mr. JPL, for this opportunity, this gift.

My poem is in the ocean section, and to write it, I did exactly what Pat encourages in his forward:

"You needn't leave your chair to write a poem about the wilder shores of creation. A book is your ticket to ride; a photograph is rapid transit to the brain. What kind of poem would you write if all you had in front of you was an image...?"

I've never been to the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize, so I went there through pictures and research. I gazed into its depths and wondered (both with questions and awe). When I finally wrote, I let the Great Blue Hole speak, giving its tribute to the water that created it one drop at a time with the eternal power of erosion.

25 comments:

I would like to know this Great Blue Hole who speaks -"In my hollow heart, I meditatedon my maker."I love how this book opens all of us up to new places, finding treasures around the planet that we never knew existed. xo

Congratulations! I'm definitely going to purchase this book and will use your poem as a mentor text for my students. I love the idea of researching and immersing yourself in a scientific phenomenon and then writing poetry about it. Yours is beautiful!

" - A circular sapphire in a turquoise sea, singular." The senses are drenched in these lovely descriptions; I think you had me at the hollow heart meditating on its maker. THAT line just took me places. Thanks for sharing this, Cuz, and congrats on your place in the book!

Wow, so happy for you. Congratulations! What a fabulous poem. Never knew about the Great Blue Hole. Love circular sapphire in a turquoise sea, how you created an interesting persona while imparting information. Brava!

OH, my. That hole is spectacular in an unreal, SF kind of way! I would've been intimidated to write a poem that evoked it, but YOU. You wrote a gorgeous, perfectly paced wonder of a poem. I'm so thrilled for you, and for the readers of this book, who will delight in this. xo

I've never heard of this, and now I'm really looking forward to the book, Mary Lee. I love that you gave special lines to each of those atoms. Beautiful poem, & congratulations too for being in that wonderful book.

Your place in this gorgeous anthology is well-deserved, Mary Lee! I love how this, "In my hollow heart, I meditated/on my maker" becomes this "the oceans rose, my ceiling fell, and I was completely/submerged. Filled to the brim." Thoughtful, wondrous.

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About Us

Franki and Mary Lee are both teachers, and have been for more than 20 years.

Franki is a third grade teacher. She is also the author of Beyond Leveled Books (Stenhouse), Still Learning to Read (Stenhouse), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop (Scholastic) and The Joy of Planning (Choice Literacy). She is also a regular contributor to Choice Literacy.

Mary Lee is a fifth grade teacher. She is also the author of Reconsidering Read-Aloud (Stenhouse) and has poems in the Poetry Friday Anthology, the Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School, and the Poetry Friday Anthology for Science (Pomelo Books).